How To Destroy Angels
by Sunfreak
Summary: [Wish/CCS crossover.] Kinomoto Touya does a favor for an angel and gets a wish in return- along with a great deal of trouble once it's granted.
1. Transform The Devil

A/N: A Wish/Card Captor Sakura crossover. Like no one else ever thought of it, I know. _ But I came up with an idea that I felt was quite simply too delicious to ignore, so here it is! I kept telling myself I wouldn't start working on it until I finished a few other projects, but it seems I was lying. So I hope you like it- I'm putting off other perfectly good stories for this one's sake!  
  
FYI: The CCS characters are set a little while after the series' completion (Sakura is sixteen, Touya is twenty-three and fresh out of college). Gets them on a more even level with Wish's gang, and means more sexy bits! Whoo! Wish is currently at an undetermined point after the arrival of Hisui and Kokuyo, somewhere around the end of book two. As I get the later books, there may be minor changes in past installments for the sake of accuracy, but I'll make a note of those should it be necessary.  
  
This storyline is going to be as close to canon as I can make it, so there WILL be shounen ai and possibly yaoi, there WILL most likely be mentions of pedophilia, and there WILL be Japanese names used. If any or all of this bugs you, you probably shouldn't be a CLAMP fan anyway, should you?  
  
  
  
  
  
"Transform the Devil"  
  
  
  
  
  
The angel Kohaku fluttered down the street helplessly, her powers mostly gone for the night and stuck not only in her body's chibi-version but a vicious downpour as she fled from a crow that had attacked her- no doubt Koryu was up to something mean again.  
  
"Shuichiro . . . " she sniffled to herself.  
  
"Are you alright?" a curious voice inquired as the rain magically cut out.  
  
Kohaku looked up through tear-filled eyes and saw what she took to be Shuichiro standing over her with an umbrella. "Shuichiroooooo!" she cried tearfully, flinging herself at the man, who started in surprise. "I'm so sorry, I'm causing trouble for you again!"  
  
"'Again?'" he repeated blankly, and it was only then that she took a closer look and realized her mistake.  
  
"Oh!" Kohaku gasped in alarm, quickly pulling back. "You're not Shuichiro!"  
  
"Afraid not," he agreed, nodding his head to her. "Kinomoto Touya. And you?"  
  
"I'm Kohaku," she replied, returning the bow. "Um, thank you for helping me," she added after a moment, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry to be a bother."  
  
"Not a problem, Kohaku-san," he assured her, casually slinging off his duffel bag and whacking the crow that had been trying to sneak up on them with it into the ground. "Need a ride home?"  
  
"I- I don't mean to be any trouble," the girl stammered, somewhat intimidated by his easy detection and defeat of the bird. "I can get there myself. Just let me thank you, and I'll go."  
  
"No thanks required," he assured her, and Kohaku got a sinking feeling suspiciously akin to déjà vu.  
  
"I could give you a wish!" she suggested hopefully. "You'd like that, right?"  
  
"Not really," he replied. "What's the use of it? If I can't get whatever it is I want on my own, then I probably shouldn't have it anyway."  
  
Kohaku twitched slightly. Oh, these stupid, stupid Earthlings- time was when a human would be GRATEFUL to get a wish from an angel, would be THANKING her. But nooo, that was just too much to ask, wasn't it? Just her luck to find the only two men on the face of the earth with absolutely no interest in making their deepest, truest desires come to life. She was this close to getting stuck with another person to whom she owed a great debt, and still no way to repay either.  
  
Yeah, Earth sucked.  
  
. . . hm, better stop hanging around Koryu so much. She was getting slightly sarcastic.  
  
Kohaku gave Touya her most super-fierce Official "Offended Chibi" Glare/Pout and stamped her foot. "You have to let me thank you properly!" she declared stubbornly.  
  
"I don't need anything," he insisted just as stubbornly. "Now, where do you live? I'll give you a lift."  
  
"And put me FURTHER in debt to you?!" she wailed in dismay.  
  
"Well then, sucks to be you, kid," he retorted, scooping the angel into his arms and stepping off the sidewalk to straddle a motorcycle she had not noticed before. "Which way?"  
  
"The left," Kohaku replied automatically; then belatedly realized what she'd just done. "Wait!" she squeaked in alarm.  
  
Too late. Touya gunned the engine and took off as Kohaku shrieked in alarm.  
  
"Directions, please?" he asked dryly as soon as she'd calmed down enough to stop screaming. Embarrassed (and more so when she realized that they were barely moving faster than a brisk walk), Kohaku meekly gave him the route to Shuichiro's house.  
  
'He really does look like Shuichiro, but much younger,' she noticed with a faint trace of surprise. A moment later, she realized that he reminded her far more of Kokuyo than Shuichiro, and she shuddered at the thought. Luckily, they weren't far from the house, so the ride was mercifully brief.  
  
Less luckily, when Kohaku asked again at the door, Touya still insisted that he didn't want a reward. She was beyond distressed by that- the angel did not want to have to chase after him, nor take time away from her (admittedly few) chores for Shuichiro.  
  
"Please?!" she begged. "Just one little gift! I can't let your kindness go unreturned!"  
  
"It's not kindness if you're paid for it, Kohaku-san," the boy said, a slight hint of irritation creeping into his voice.  
  
'Oh no!' Kohaku wailed mentally. 'Now I made him mad!' She barely resisted the urge to cry.  
  
Touya sighed and went to return to his bike. "Just don't worry about it, okay?" he said. "It's not a big deal."  
  
"Yes it is!" Kohaku cried, tears on the brink of overflowing. "I have to thank you! I can't keep getting favors and not repaying them!" She began to sob. "I- I'm so useless! I can't help anyone!"  
  
"You don't have to CRY about it!" Touya protested, clearly in over his head. He could take care of his sister, sure, but when it came down to it, Kinomoto Touya and crying girls had difficulty getting along.  
  
"B- But I just want to thank you, and I can't even do THAT right!" Kohaku bawled, her frustration with both the present situation and her troubles with Shuichiro overwhelming her in a single mad rush. "I try and I try, and nothing EVER works out for me! I'm a disgrace to my kind!"  
  
Suddenly looking exhausted, Touya slumped back against the doorframe, his eyes falling shut. "Suppose I know what you mean there," he muttered distractedly. "Sometimes, the only thing I want is to be anything but what I am."  
  
Kohaku stopped crying with a startled gasp. "W- What did you say?" she whispered.  
  
"Er, nothing," he lied quickly, but she had heard him and beamed up at him in delight. This was wonderful! She knew exactly what to do, and now he'd be nowhere NEAR as scary as Kokuyo!  
  
"I can do that!" Kohaku exclaimed happily. "I can, I can!"  
  
"Wait, what- " Touya began in confusion, but Kohaku's tattoos were already on her face and glowing.  
  
"I promise, I'll give you exactly what you asked for!" she vowed solemnly, and Touya suddenly got that good ol' sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach  
  
  
  
  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
  
  
  
  
. : "review," said the devil, and then he ate them all : . 


	2. Dirty Laundry

A/N: Hey, it's STILL a Wish/CCS crossover. Imagine that! And there will STILL be shounen ai and possibly yaoi, there will STILL most likely be mentions of pedophilia, and there will STILL be Japanese names used. And if any or all of this bugs you, you STILL probably shouldn't be a CLAMP fan.  
  
And look, the chapter title has meanings on multiple levels! It's even a PUN! ^_^ I know, I know- I'm so sharp I could just CUT myself.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Dirty Laundry"  
  
  
  
  
  
"You're an idiot," Touya said flatly as Kohaku sniffled in dismay.  
  
"I'm sorry!" she wailed. "I thought you meant it literally!"  
  
"WHY would I want something like this?!" he demanded, gesturing at himself in disgust as otaku-girls and boys all over the world swooned in delight. Touya Kinomoto had been chibi-fied and now sported a pair of bright and shiny wings and large, scowling-but-adorable eyes.  
  
"I'm sorryyyyy!" Kohaku wailed again, her own adorable chibi eyes filling up with tears. "But- well, you were so big and scary, and when you said you didn't want to be human anymore, I thought-!"  
  
"I never said that!" Touya protested. "What did you even DO to me?!"  
  
Kohaku blushed in embarrassment. "I, um," she began hesitantly, "I made you an angel too."  
  
Touya twitched. " 'Too'?" he repeated.  
  
"Well, that's what I am," she said meekly. "And I thought you'd make a nice angel, and it was either that or some kind of fairy, and I thought an angel would be easier, 'cause if you had any questions I could answer them and . . . " She trailed off helplessly as Touya's glare rapidly darkened. Finally choosing the better part of valor, Kohaku turned tail and flew inside the house at top speed.  
  
"HEY!" Touya yelled, running after her and quickly discovering that chibi- legs were remarkably inefficient as Kohaku easily flew out around a corner and of sight. He mentally cursed and kicked up his pace. But a second later, he suddenly felt a familiar tickle at the edge of his mind, turned a corner, and crashed directly into a woman's legs.  
  
"Are you all right, little one?" a concerned voice asked him gently as he was lifted into a pair of slender arms. He stared in awe at the beautiful woman before him, shocked into silence. She smiled soothingly when she saw Touya's nervousness and brushed his bangs back out of his eyes, as if he were a child and she his mother.  
  
"Um . . . " He gulped and resisted the urge to flee from the unfamiliar pampering. "Yes, I'm fine. Um, have you seen Kohaku around, ma'am?"  
  
"She just went that way, dear." The woman pointed and Touya again got a faint feeling from the indicated direction, but very different from the one that came from the woman holding him.  
  
"Thank you," he said uncertainly.  
  
These feelings he was getting . . . it was like he had his powers back, but so much stronger. And the things he was sensing; he'd never felt anything like them before. This woman especially- she wasn't human, but she wasn't like the guardians either.  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but . . . er . . . " He hesitated slightly. "What ARE you?"  
  
"My name is Hisui," she replied with a pleasant smile. "Who are you, little one?" It wasn't the answer he'd wanted, but then again, it was a rather personal thing to be asking someone you'd just met.  
  
"Kinomoto Touya," he told her.  
  
Hisui frowned very slightly. "Kinomototouya? That's quite long," she murmured.  
  
"Just 'Touya' would be good," Touya said quickly. "Thank you very much." He slipped out of the woman's arms and hurried off in the general direction of the feeling that said "Kohaku." He found her in the laundry basket a few rooms away, hiding under a blanket and shivering.  
  
"Dummy," he muttered, poking her in the shoulder. "What are you doing? I can sense you, you know."  
  
"Well, yeah, but I didn't think you'd be able to figure it out so quickly," she said softly. "Are you still mad at me?"  
  
"Less so," he admitted grudgingly. "Come on out, would you?"  
  
"'Kay," Kohaku said in a small voice, crawling out from underneath the blanket.  
  
"How do I get back to normal?" he asked her wearily, sitting before the basket.  
  
Kohaku bit her lip and kneeled next to him. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I can get a wish granted, but I don't know if it's even possible to UN- wish something."  
  
Touya sighed and folded his chubby little chibi-arms. "Figures," he grumbled. "Is there at least a way I can look like my old self?"  
  
"When the sun is out, all angels are full-size and can pass as human," she explained quickly. "But when it's down, the demons are full-size and the lesser angels take on these smaller forms, the same way as the lesser demons do in the daytime, because angels get power from the sun, and demons get it from the moon."  
  
"Lovely," Touya sighed. "Well, I guess I'll just have to quit my night job then, won't I. Anything else I should know?"  
  
"Um, you can't eat human food anymore. And you can't ever take life, not of anything," she added.  
  
"I can't eat food?" He twitched slightly. "Then what DO I eat?"  
  
"Well, angels just need fresh air and sunshine," Kohaku informed him. "You can drink milk too if you'd like, maybe put in some honey, but never, never eat anything that was ever alive."  
  
Touya sighed again and rubbed the back of his head. "That could be worse, I suppose," he admitted. "I live alone, so I won't have to worry about anyone getting suspicious unless I take up a dinner invitation or something."  
  
"You do?" She gasped. "Oh, that's terrible!"  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "It's no big deal."  
  
"But . . . you must be so lonely," she said softly.  
  
Touya smiled then, and it was strangely gentle. "No. There are a lot of people I care for. I can always find one of them, no matter what's going on in my life," he told her, brushing his hair out of his eyes and closing his eyes. The expression on his face was so utterly content as he spoke that Kohaku couldn't even bring herself to reply and risk breaking the moment for him.  
  
A brief bout of sadness passed over her, and Kohaku suddenly wished very much that Shuichiro were there with her.  
  
A moment later, Touya furrowed his brow and glanced at the door. "Someone's coming."  
  
"Huh?" Kohaku blinked and automatically turned to look even as Kokuyo entered, looking rather bored.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at the two tiny angels by the laundry basket. "Who's the new kid?" he inquired. "Don't we have enough friends yet?"  
  
Kohaku gulped and mumbled something noncommittal. Hisui swept into the room behind her lover with a gentle chuckle, scooping the girl into her arms. "Oh, you know you don't have to be so afraid of Kokuyo, Kohaku," she said in an amused tone.  
  
"Yes, Madam Hisui," Kohaku said dutifully, but she remained unconvinced that the exiled son of Satan was a person one might become friendly with.  
  
"Sun's rising in a minute," Kokuyo warned, and Hisui released Kohaku just as she and Touya returned to full size.  
  
"Well, wasn't that a fun way to spend a night," Touya muttered a little sourly as he pinched the bridge of his nose, very grateful to be tall enough to properly glare down at Kohaku again.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you didn't HAVE to help me," Kohaku pointed out in a slightly irritated voice.  
  
"Oh, yes, let's just leave the little girl to run around in the rain," Touya retorted sarcastically. "Wouldn't that have been lovely of us."  
  
Neither of the pair was acting much like they usually did, but the situation was rather awkward for both. It had just occurred to Kohaku that maybe she wasn't allowed to turn people into angels without at least getting proper clearance, and Touya was not enjoying the prospect of spending every night for the rest of his existence as a chibi. For one thing, it wasn't going to be good for his sex life. Not that he had one anyway, seeing as Yuki was just too cute and innocent to pound into the mattress and Yue too busy baby-sitting Sakura whenever he popped up.  
  
Then he yelped in alarm and clapped his hands to his mouth. "Oh SHIT, I forgot about the kaijuu!" Touya wailed, immediately rushing out the door and into the hall.  
  
"A monster?!" Kohaku squeaked in dismay, utterly misinterpreting the statement.  
  
"Damn," Kokuyo growled. "The old man must've sent something after us."  
  
"You think so?" Hisui gave him a concerned look and Kohaku shivered in fear. "Well, that would explain the sudden presence of a new angel. I've never seen him before though; he must be a novice. We'd best follow the boy before he gets hurt." The trio rushed after him, and just as they got outside, there was the sudden sound of an engine revving and Touya tore off down the street on his motorcycle far faster than any of them could fly.  
  
"Next idea, love?" Kokuyo asked dryly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.  
  
"Where was Shuichiro going in such a hurry?" Koryu inquired as he suddenly dropped out of a nearby tree and came up to the others.  
  
"That wasn't Shuichiro," Hisui told the miniaturized demon. "Another angel showed up a few minutes ago and said something about a monster. He's the one driving the motorcycle."  
  
"An angel ripped off Shuichiro's bike?" Koryu snorted, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "You're kidding me, right?"  
  
"That wasn't Shuichiro's motorcycle either," Kokuyo said, narrowing his eyes in the direction Touya had gone. "You know . . . he DID look a bit like Shuichiro, now that I think of it."  
  
"You mean he looked like you, dear," Hisui said with a smile, and he huffed in annoyance.  
  
"Crap," Koryu suddenly growled as a thought seemed to strike him.  
  
"What is it?" Hisui asked, giving him a curious look.  
  
"Ruri and Hari were hiding in the sidebag," he grumbled. "They thought it was Shuichiro's bike too- I think they wanted to jump him when he got on."  
  
"It's not like they can't find their way back," Kokuyo pointed out. "They're big girls."  
  
"Oh, but poor Touya!" Kohaku wailed. "He doesn't know they're there!"  
  
"Calm down, Kohaku," Hisui said comfortingly, placing a hand on the sniffling angel's shoulder. "We can still try to follow them if you're worried about your friend. Besides, he might need help anyway. Leave a note for Shuichiro and let's go. After all, Kokuyo and I can't expect a novice to clean up whatever beast was sent after us."  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if he could," Kokuyo muttered. "He's no novice if he knows enough about Earth to be able to drive a motorcycle that well."  
  
"But he was in a smaller form before the sun rose," Hisui countered. "So he can't know all his spells yet."  
  
Kohaku swallowed nervously and hurried back to the house to find a piece of paper, wringing her hands together anxiously.  
  
"Oh, why can't I ever do anything right?" she moaned under her breath. "Poor Touya! And what will Shuichiro say when he finds out?! What if he gets mad enough to make me leave?"  
  
She paled at the thought and barely kept her hand from trembling as she dashed off a quick excuse to the house's owner and sole human occupant.  
  
"I can't tell him. How could I risk it?" she mumbled. "Oh, if he sent me away- I'd die, I'd know I would! But what am I supposed to do about Touya?"  
  
  
  
  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
  
  
  
  
. : daddy, daddy! teacher says, "every time a reader reviews, an angel gets her wings!" : . 


	3. Hot Tea and Honey Milk

A/N: Your author feels that she has developed something of an angel-boi fetish (as well as a tendency to speak in the third person). Admittedly not one as great as Cousin Anie's fairie- boy fetish, but it exists nonetheless. Thusly this story is oddly amusing and I enjoy writing it muchly. Feel happy, fans. It's High Priority.  
  
Now if only said fans would remind me that they exist . . . *pokepoke* Anybody out there? Then why aren't you reviewing?! Eh? Eh? Don't you love me?  
  
Hey, and again if you've yet to read my notes: there WILL be shounen ai and possibly yaoi, there WILL most likely be mentions of pedophilia, and there WILL be Japanese names used. If any or all of this bugs you, then you probably aren't a CLAMP fan anyway. ^_~  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hot Tea and Honey Milk"  
  
  
  
  
  
Touya gave the large glowing wings on his back a dirty look even as he hit the brakes in front of his father's house. To his relief, they vanished instantly- the wings, that is. If the brakes had vanished- well, let's just say we'd have come up short a protagonist at press time, hm?  
  
"At least SOMEthing's pretending to go right," Touya muttered, ditching his helmet and slipping off the bike. "Now then: how to explain the reason I forgot to pick up Sakura, didn't call to SAY I'd forgotten, and wound up with this nice new aura?"  
  
Such questions, however, went straight out the window as he suddenly sensed a very familiar presence's approach; a strange, bittersweet one that he had not felt in far too long.  
  
"Mother," Touya said softly as Kinomoto Nadeshiko materialized before him, wearing a beautiful white dress and a worried expression.  
  
"Touya," she said in concern, reaching out to touch his face. "Your aura has changed. What happened to you?"  
  
"Long, long story," he replied with a sigh. "But it's good to see you again."  
  
"The others will be wanting a better explanation than that," Nadeshiko warned him.  
  
"Tell me if you think of one," Touya requested ruefully, heading towards the front door.  
  
He swung it open and found himself face to face with the sixteen year-old Li Syaoran, who was glaring like he'd been expecting the Devil, sipping a cup of willowbark tea, and nursing a killer hangover while at the same time suffering from the remains of an unfortunate case of jetlag. Oh, if his mother had only known.  
  
"Out of the way, gaki," he grunted, pushing past the boy, who followed after him with a suspicious expression.  
  
"Start talking, Kinomoto," he demanded. "You know I can sense it; now EXPLAIN it."  
  
"Can't I at least eat first?" Touya complained.  
  
"No!" Li snapped. "Not when your magic level has kicked through the roof and your aura is just screaming, 'Hey, look at me! I'm suddenly and inexplicably NOT human for the first time in twenty- three years!'"  
  
"Buzz off, brat," Touya snarled, slamming the refrigerator door open and barely restraining the urge to be physically sick at the sight of the food it contained. Remembering Kohaku's words, he grabbed the milk and beat a hasty retreat. "What are you even doing here? You're supposed to be in Hong Kong."  
  
"I did know that, you realize. I came to see Sakura," Li said exasperatedly. "My flight got in around two A.M., which is the only reason why I'm even awake and talking to you at this ungodly hour."  
  
"It's already past nine, night owl. Did Dad pick her up from Tomoyo's last night?" Touya asked, pouring himself a glass of milk.  
  
"No, she just stayed over," Li answered. "She was worried when you didn't show, but judging by your new aura, you had a pretty damn good reason not to."  
  
Touya just waved him off and swallowed the contents of his glass in one go.  
  
"Thirsty much?" Li asked dryly.  
  
"Shut up," Touya muttered, already pouring a second helping.  
  
"We want some too!" twin voices suddenly chorused.  
  
Touya blinked and looked down to discover two eager black cats with large, hopeful eyes, pierced ears, and bracelets around their tails sitting at his feet. He blinked again; then turned to the cupboard and got out a bowl, filling it almost to the brim and passing it on to the kitties, who cheered in delight and attacked it.  
  
"Really, I've stopped pretending that my life ever made any sense," Touya muttered. Nadeshiko smiled sympathetically at him from the kitchen counter.  
  
"Oh, this one's a cutie!" the cat on the left enthused. "And check out his shoulders- they're almost as sexy as Shuichiro's!"  
  
The one on the right grinned wickedly. "Yeah, but look at the kid! Isn't he adorable? You just know he'll grow up absolutely scrumptious!" Li blushed at that and both cats giggled conspiratorially.  
  
"Do you know Kohaku?" Touya inquired, recalling that the angel had also mentioned the name Shuichiro.  
  
"The bubblehead? Yup!" the left cat replied. "But what are YOU doing on Earth, angel-boy? Did God send you to bring her back?"  
  
Li quirked an eyebrow at Touya, who just rolled his eyes at the idea. "Not even close," he said. "Besides," he added in a mean- spirited mutter, "are you SURE anybody up there misses her?"  
  
The cats squealed in delight and gave each other high fives. "You so bad!" they crowed, their opinion of the young man increasing dramatically.  
  
"Introductions, please?" Li asked mildly.  
  
"I'm Ruri!" the left cat chirped.  
  
"And I'm Hari!" the right put in, hopping up into his lap.  
  
"Li Syaoran," he said, automatically scratching her behind the ears.  
  
"Touya," Touya put in, already knowing they wouldn't care about his last name.  
  
"Hey, pet me too, Syaoran-chan!" Ruri cried, joining her sister on Li's knee. "I'm just as cute as Hari is!" Li chuckled and repeated the treatment on her. Within seconds, he had both cats purring like motorboats.  
  
"Oh yeah, this is good," Hari declared, rolling onto her back so Li could scratch her stomach. Ruri just sighed in delight and more-or-less melted over the boy's legs.  
  
"Mm . . . They have very strong moon power," Li observed with a faint smile.  
  
"Yeah, you're right. No wonder you're getting along so well," Touya agreed with him in a shocking and unexpected twist.  
  
"You're no normal human," Ruri observed, batting lightly at the Chinese boy's hand.  
  
"And so delicious too!" Hari purred, twisting around to nibble on Li's fingers. "He tastes as good as Master Koryu, Ruri!"  
  
"Really?" Ruri's eyes lit up and she scrambled up onto Li's shoulders, where she promptly leaned over and 'kissed' him by licking his lips.  
  
"Hey!" Li protested in surprise, blushing again.  
  
"How totally cute! He's absolutely delectable!" Ruri said in delight. "I've never tasted such a lip-smackingly luscious human! Ooo, it's almost as good as getting to do whatever we want with Master Koryu!" she added with a giggle.  
  
Hari squealed gleefully at the scandalous idea. "Let's adopt him!" she enthused. "He's so cute; Master Koryu will just LOVE him!"  
  
Li's expression turned slightly nervous at that line. "Uh, anyway, Sakura should be back around one," he said quickly. "Your dad said I could wait here, but he had to-"  
  
"Give another lecture, I know," Touya cut in, pouring himself yet another glass of milk and this time dumping in liberal amounts of honey. His mother beamed at the sight of the old Kinomoto feel-good recipe. The cats simultaneously blinked in puzzlement, though they continued cuddling up to Li.  
  
"Your dad?" Ruri wondered aloud. "You mean God?"  
  
"I don't think God gives lectures anymore," Hari muttered.  
  
"Have you asked lately?" Li inquired dryly, stealing the milk and honey from Touya for his tea.  
  
"He has a point," Ruri admitted.  
  
"Well, I suppose I've got time to explain now, don't I?" Touya realized with a disgruntled sigh. To his surprise, though, Li didn't even seem to remember that he was in the room- the boy was too busy coddling the cats, who were quite delighted with the pampering and gave as good as they got.  
  
Touya rolled his eyes and stole the milk back, downing the whole carton in one gulp.  
  
"Dammit," he muttered, glaring accusingly at the empty milk carton as if it were somehow conspiring against him. "Why would it be too much to ask to be able to eat a damned cheeseburger?"  
  
"Well, because we're out of beef," Li informed him. "And now milk as well, might I add. Check the cupboard, there should be a can of the powdered kind on the third shelf."  
  
Touya gave him an odd look. "Why do you know more about the contents of my family's fridge than I do?"  
  
"I've been here since two A.M., remember?" Li said dryly. "I've taken inventory of every closet and cupboard in the house, typed up a five-page shopping list on my Palm Pilot, cleaned everything I could get my hands on, and shampooed the carpet under every piece of furniture that wasn't nailed down. Twice."  
  
"He slices, he dices, and makes julienne fries!" Ruri quipped.  
  
"How adorably domestic!" Hari exclaimed, clapping her paws together.  
  
Li smiled very slightly at their banter, but- was it Touya's imagination?- there seemed to be something strangely forlorn in his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
  
  
  
  
. : the road to hell is paved with un-reviewed stories : . 


	4. Take The Back Way Home

A/N: Not my characters, not my series. You'd know if they were, believe me, just going by the amount of snogging and Touya x Yue action. "x", mind you, not "+".  
  
  
  
  
  
"Take The Back Way Home"  
  
  
  
  
  
Kohaku sighed tiredly, slumping over to lean against the nearest person as the group walked along a crooked alleyway, searching more or less diligently. Kohaku was half-asleep, Koryu didn't care, and Kokuyo was just bored. Hisui, unsurprisingly, was the only one actually looking for Touya at all.  
  
Kohaku's living pillow snorted and the angel's eyes flew wide open in alarm as she realized that it was Kokuyo. She squeaked in alarm and bolted straight upright, quickly retreating to hide behind Koryu, despite the fact that she was at least four or five times his size and he wouldn't have had any qualms about selling her out even if he WERE big enough to hide her.  
  
"S-Sorry," she stammered, paling significantly.  
  
Kokuyo snorted again and turned away. "Anyone see anything yet?" he asked, ignoring her entirely.  
  
"Not even a glimmer of angel's light," Hisui replied with a sigh.  
  
"Nope," Koryu said flippantly, yawning widely.  
  
"Nuh-uh," Kohaku said softly.  
  
"Well then, this has certainly been an exercise in futility," Kokuyo observed, scratching the back of his head.  
  
Then a giant bejeweled and bewinged lion flew past them with two teenage girls on his back, the darker one holding a video camera and the lighter wielding a bright pink staff and accidentally knocking Kohaku and Koryu head over heels.  
  
"That wasn't normal," Hisui observed.  
  
"Oh no!" the lighter girl shrieked. "Kero-chan, go back, go back!" The lion obediently turned a quick one-eighty and dashed back up to the group.  
  
"Oh, are you alright, Miss?" the darker girl asked worriedly, looking down at Kohaku.  
  
"I'm sorrrrry!" the lighter wailed, balling up her fists and covering her mouth. "Are you okay?! You aren't hurt, are you?!"  
  
"Ow . . . " Kohaku mumbled.  
  
"Oh wow, you're so PRETTY!" the girls squealed in unison, eyes simultaneously turning starry.  
  
"Would you get off me already?!" Koryu screamed, struggling to wriggle out from underneath the angel.  
  
"How cute!" The darker girl beamed and jumped off the lion to zoom in on him with her camera. "Sakura-chan, look! Isn't she adorable? I could make the CUTEST dress for her! With frills and bows and-"  
  
Koryu twitched. "I am NOT a woman!" he howled.  
  
"Oh!" She smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry! But anyway, like I was saying, with frills and bows and-"  
  
"I AM A MAN!" Koryu yelled, glaring daggers at the girl.  
  
" . . . and your point is?" The darker girl blinked at him. He twitched again.  
  
"We are SO sorry," the lighter girl apologized again, helping Kohaku to her feet. "This is Daidouji Tomoyo, and I'm Kinomoto Sakura."  
  
Kohaku nearly fell over. "Er . . . Kinomoto, you said?" she asked weakly. That certainly sounded familiar . . . she couldn't know Touya, could she?  
  
"Yup!" The girl grinned at her. "You want us to buy you some cake?" she offered. "As an apology?"  
  
"Um, no, thank you," Kohaku said quickly. "That's alright; we're not hurt."  
  
"Easy for you to say, tubby!" Koryu yelled. "You didn't have a fat little brat land on you!"  
  
"Who's fat?!" she demanded.  
  
"You too stupid to understand me?" he snapped.  
  
"Hush," Kokuyo said simply, instantly winning complete silence.  
  
"Oh, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried in sudden dismay. "Look how late it is! Mother told your dad we'd be back by one!"  
  
"Don't worry, Tomoyo, Daddy's giving a lecture today anyway," Sakura replied with a smile. "So it'll be okay if we're a little behind schedule."  
  
"It's four o'clock," Kokuyo informed her blandly.  
  
Sakura blanched. "Whaaat?!" she yelped.  
  
"He's right," Tomoyo said sheepishly, holding up her wristwatch and pointing to the time.  
  
"Oh my God, Dad's gonna KILL me!" she wailed.  
  
"I told you we were late, didn't I?" the lion said dryly.  
  
"Hello, Lion-san," Kohaku said politely, half-bowing. "Sorry to get in your way."  
  
"My name is Kerberos," the lion informed her. "And it's fine, really."  
  
"Oi, Kero-chan- quick, get small!" Sakura hissed. "We're in trouble if anybody sees you!"  
  
"Little late to worry about THAT, ain't it?" Koryu raised an eyebrow dubiously, folding his arms.  
  
"We didn't think anyone would be down this alley," Tomoyo explained even as the lion shrunk into a smaller, cuter, and far more travel-sized version of himself. "But you don't seem phased at all- why is that?"  
  
"They aren't human," Kerberos said, yawning idly. "Dunno WHAT they are, really, but they've got some killer auras."  
  
"Yeah," Sakura agreed, biting her lip. "I can sense it too."  
  
"Can you?" Kokuyo raised an eyebrow and took the girl's chin in his hand, leaning over to inspect her carefully. "Mm . . . I sense much magic in you as well, little one."  
  
Sakura blushed under his intense gaze. "Oh, well, I don't have so much- really, Syaoran was always better at it than I was anyway, you know how it is . . . " she babbled nervously. "Um."  
  
"We're still late, you know," Kerberos remarked.  
  
"Ack!" Sakura squeaked in dismay. "Crap, WHY can't I stay focused?!" she wailed. "Come on, Tomoyo-chan, we have to hurry!"  
  
"It's not like we can get much later," Kero muttered.  
  
"But if we're lucky, Daddy's lecture ran over, so he'll still be out!" Sakura said excitedly. "And if I use Fly, we'll get there in a flash!"  
  
"What's wrong with me?" Kero looked insulted.  
  
"Nothing, Fly's just less conspicuous!" Sakura explained quickly. The guardian continued to sulk. "Kero-chaaan!" she protested exasperatedly. "Come on, you know I'm right!"  
  
"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Kero muttered.  
  
Kohaku watched them somewhat nervously. The idea of meeting two Kinomotos in such a brief span of time without there being at least SOME kind of relationship between them was rather unlikely, and if she went by how quickly Touya had picked up on his angelic senses and dispatched of the crow . . . It would seem that he'd had some sort of background in magic. And these two- they absolutely oozed with it.  
  
Which meant, if she followed them, they might lead her to Touya.  
  
She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.  
  
"FLY!" Sakura suddenly shouted, snapping Kohaku's focus back to the present. Her staff was glowing brilliantly and- was that a card in the air? The angel didn't get a chance to find out, as whatever it was vanished and the staff inexplicably sprouted a huge pair of wings.  
  
A harsh flap, and it lifted up immediately, even as Sakura and Tomoyo both jumped on and Kerberos's form morphed into that of what looked like a small stuffed doll.  
  
"Nice to meet you!" Sakura called down to them, and then the three were off like a shot.  
  
Kohaku would've let them go if, at that moment, she hadn't suddenly recalled the sight of Touya peering in under her blanket in the laundry basket. Though he had acted calm and in control, in the back of his eyes she had seen something very much like helplessness.  
  
He had been lost, and he had been afraid, and even if he'd seemed to be handling things, that didn't change the fact that he'd never dealt with anything quite like this before. And she could tell- Touya would not come back to her for help.  
  
Kohaku's wings flared into existence, and she kicked off the ground to dash after them.  
  
"Kohaku?!" Hisui exclaimed in shock.  
  
She ignored the ex-angel. She couldn't leave him like that. She couldn't leave ANYone alone like that; trapped in body he didn't understand and with potentially dangerous powers. What if a demon found him?  
  
Worse, if another angel did?  
  
She had to help him.  
  
Even if it meant admitting her mistake to Shuichiro.  
  
  
  
  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
  
  
  
  
. : review the little angels : . 


	5. Gracious Host

A/N: Okay! Normally I think that it's a bit of a pain to do this, but . . . well, I owe a few reviewers for this story luv. So . . . L-chan, thank you for constantly coming back; Carole, thank you for actually being a Wish fan; xia, thank you for reminding me that, as usual, I've forgotten to put in the angst (don't worry, there's some coming!); and everyone else, thank you for reviewing period! This little fic doesn't get much love, so I'm supremely grateful for every review it gets.  
  
Don't forget- yaoi and such coming soon. ^_~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Gracious Host"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Li," Touya said exasperatedly from the kitchen table as Ruri and Hari rubbed against his arms, "you don't need to do all this."  
  
"I want to," Li insisted, not even looking up from the groceries he was sorting into the cupboards and refrigerator.  
  
"You've really lost it this time, haven't you," Touya muttered, idly scratching the cats under their chins. "Cleaning the house, buying groceries- what's next; raising babies?"  
  
"Well, I WAS thinking of making dinner, but I suppose that I could do that too," the youth remarked thoughtfully.  
  
"What's with you today?" Touya grumbled as the cats giggled.  
  
"You haven't seen me face-to-face in four years- surely you didn't think I'd be exactly as you remembered me," Li replied, unwrapping a chicken and finding a pan to cook it in.  
  
"Uh . . . " Touya winced slightly. "Well, in a way," he admitted. "But even if I hadn't, I don't think I'd have pictured you like this. You're so . . . so . . . " 'sad,' he thought, but didn't say.  
  
"I'm growing up, I think," Li said softly, looking regretful. "I'm afraid it hasn't been much fun."  
  
"You were hung-over earlier, weren't you," Touya said after a moment.  
  
Li grimaced at the memory. "Badly," he confessed.  
  
Touya frowned at him. "Why were you drinking to begin with?" he asked.  
  
"Usual reason," Li told him. "Wanted to forget myself for a while."  
  
"This is a habit?" Touya's eyebrows went up.  
  
"No." Li made a face. "And it won't become one, I assure you- I don't relish spending another morning leaning over the toilet, plus still have a headache AND be nauseous the rest of the day."  
  
Touya smirked in a rather satisfied way upon hearing of the other's discomfort. "Serves you right," he said with a chuckle.  
  
"I know it does; that's the worst part," Li grumbled. "Pass me the baster, would you?"  
  
Touya did so, and then got to his feet and started putting the rest of the groceries away. "Such a damned weird day," he muttered. Ruri and Hari squealed in delight.  
  
"An angel who swears!" Ruri gushed.  
  
"So sexy!" Hari crooned. Touya rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh, is that what this aura is?" Li frowned slightly and gestured in Touya's general direction. Touya blinked at him. Shouldn't the kid have been freaking out?  
  
"Yup!" Hari chirped. "He's an angel- like, a servant of God an' all that stuff!"  
  
"And we're demons." Ruri preened. "Just wait 'til the sun goes down; then you can see OUR true forms too!"  
  
"We so fine!" the two cheered in unison, high-fiving each other.  
  
"Dear God, the SUN," Touya groaned, remembering with distaste the experience of being chibi-fied. The cats looked remarkably smug. "You know, you're taking this pretty well," he observed, looking back to Li.  
  
"I'm a student of magic, aren't I?" the other pointed out with a slight shrug. "It's not that big a jump from magic to angels and demons. And I have had a few lessons on the effects of the cycles of the sun and moon and the ranks of both sides; things like that." Disinterested, he licked a few drops of melted fat and juices from the chicken off his wrist with a catlike movement, causing both Ruri and Hari to jump over to the kitchen counter and suckle his fingers to get at the rest.  
  
"Mm, chicken-flavored Syaoran-chan!" Ruri purred. Li blushed at the suffix.  
  
"Stop that," he mumbled, though the words lacked real force. The cats just giggled and rolled onto their backs. Li sighed but smiled and scratched their stomachs anyway. "Spoiled little brats," he muttered affectionately, pulling away to put the chicken in the oven. The duo giggled again.  
  
From the hallway, they heard the door suddenly slam open, and Sakura's voice shouted, "I'm home! I'm home, I'm home, please don't be mad that I'm late!"  
  
"Hello, Kinomoto-san," Tomoyo's own voice called, far more quietly. "I'm very sorry we're late."  
  
"He's not home, kaijuu!" Touya yelled back. "But we're in the kitchen!"  
  
" 'We'? Ah, is Yukito here?!" Sakura squealed in delight, barging in with a delighted smile on her face. Then she stopped dead and shrieked, "SYAORAN!" The Card Mistress tackled her long-time friend around the waist with another happy squeal, and Tomoyo came in, smiling gently at them and with Kero in her arms.  
  
"Hello, Li-kun," she greeted, giving Touya a nod. "Oh, what gorgeous cats!" she added a moment later.  
  
"Those are no cats," Kero muttered. Ruri and Hari blinked at him.  
  
"What's that thing?" Hari asked in bemusement. Sakura yelped in shock.  
  
Li snickered. "Don't mind the stuffed animal," he said, clearly amused.  
  
Kero glared at him. "Go to hell, brat."  
  
"Ooo, please do!" Ruri and Hari chorused excitedly.  
  
"We'll show you around!" Hari added.  
  
"As in literally?" Touya rubbed at his forehead. "God, it figures. Dammit, gaki; where's the milk?!"  
  
"Fridge; top shelf," Li replied absently, already moving on to preparing the next part of the meal. "I bought three gallons for your strange new appetite." Touya winced at the reminder and claimed an entire bottle for himself. As an afterthought, he took out a glass.  
  
He wished his mother had stayed. This strange situation might've seemed easier that way. At least Sakura didn't even seem to have noticed his new aura, so thank God for small favors.  
  
Of course, Kerberos would no doubt spill the beans any moment now, but at least there would be a brief lull before the storm. Yeah, a lull would be nice.  
  
Then Kohaku stepped in through the door. "Touya?" she asked uncertainly as her eyes fell upon him. The others blinked in surprise.  
  
"Oh, another one? Always nice to have company." Li smiled at her gently and got out the milk. "Do you take it plain or with honey, Miss?"  
  
"Oh, either is fine," Kohaku said quickly. Li opted to add the honey.  
  
"Did you follow us?" Tomoyo asked with a slightly puzzled look on her face.  
  
"Yes," the angel admitted, wringing her hands in worry. "I'm sorry, but . . . I needed to find Touya, and Sakura said her name was Kinomoto too and she had SO much magic, I just thought you might know him!"  
  
"Well, seems like you were right then, weren't you," Li put in conversationally as he pulled out a teapot. "Would you like your milk heated up?"  
  
"Yes, please," Kohaku answered politely. "Thank you very much." Li filled the pot while Sakura and Kero watched him curiously. Tomoyo, however, pulled out the video camera.  
  
"You look so cute, Li!" she cheered. "Like the perfect host!"  
  
The boy rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You'll never change," he muttered fondly.  
  
"Li, why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Sakura asked curiously.  
  
"I didn't know," he replied, suddenly sounding tired. "I ran away from home yesterday."  
  
"HOEEE?!" Sakura yelped, her eyes bugging out in disbelief. "What happened?!"  
  
Li just shrugged. "No reason," he said. "I just needed a vacation."  
  
"But your family- and the Li clan . . ." Tomoyo looked slightly puzzled. "What about them?"  
  
"As long as I'm back by the end of the month, they won't care," Li said flippantly, cranking up the stove. "If I'm alive and well and in China when they need me to be, then they'll be happy."  
  
"Why do you have to be back by then?" Kohaku asked softly, unable to keep her concern for this polite new boy out of her voice.  
  
Li's smile had a bitter twist to it. "Because . . . that's when I'm getting married," he answered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
. : reviews for the poor : . 


	6. Destroying Something Beautiful

A/N: Oh my GOD! O_O This story, which hardly EVER gets reviewed, got four within two hours of posting for the last chapter and ten total! Four! I have one-shots that get less than that in twenty-four hours!  
  
Yes, I'm desperate for feedback, but I am so happy. T-T  
  
And answering a question or two: I refer to Syaoran as Li because that's what most of the other characters call him, save Sakura and now Ruri and Hari (plus it's faster to type and easier for my spellchecker to deal with). "The Skin I'm In" is on temporary hiatus, but I should be updating it soon- I've got like six or seven other multi-chapter fics to work on too, so I'm afraid that it's been a bit neglected lately. No yuri either so far or planned, though Tomoyo is of course still in love with Sakura. And I didn't really intend to play Li as crushing on Touya, but it would be cute, wouldn't it? Hm . . .  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Destroying Something Beautiful"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kokuyo was not a happy demon. His girlfriend was being stubborn and dragging him through the streets to track down Kohaku. Personally, he'd rather leave the bubblehead to her own problems. Unfortunately, if he ever wanted laid again, it seemed he'd have to play along for now.  
  
Damn though, he hated hide and seek.  
  
"I'm bored," he said finally, seriously terrifying Koryu, who took the opportunity to hide in Hisui's robes. He remembered quite well what had happened the LAST time Kokuyo was bored . . . that mess had taken a week to straighten out.  
  
"I'll make it up to you later," Hisui promised sweetly, smiling up at him.  
  
"How do you expect to do that?" he asked grumpily.  
  
"By doing something nauuughty," she sing-songed uncharacteristically, stepping ahead of the other two and swishing her hips. Kokuyo nearly fell over. "So, will you help me find Kohaku?" she asked.  
  
"You know I can't say no to that," Kokuyo growled.  
  
"You can't?" Hisui blinked innocently back at him. "Why ever not?"  
  
"See, THIS is what ya get for dating an Angel Master," Koryu grumbled as the former angel sashayed off again. "Sweet poison."  
  
"At least it's a nice way to die," Kokuyo murmured, eyeing Hisui's retreating rump.  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud," Koryu muttered, smacking his own forehead. "You've lost your mind," the chibi-demon accused.  
  
Kokuyo ignored him in favor of trailing after Hisui. Disgusted, Koryu shook his head and headed back the way they'd come.  
  
"I am going HOME," he said sulkily, turning the corner and promptly crashing into a sweetly smiling man, sending the other's notebooks flying (and landing, unfortunately enough, atop poor little Koryu).  
  
"Hello," the man said in amusement as he gathered up his fallen papers and the abused chibi nursed a killer headache. "Having fun?"  
  
"What the hell?!" Koryu squawked, glaring up at himthe man and his companion "You just steamrollered me! How much fun is THAT?!"  
  
"I don't know; how much?" The man looked honestly curious.  
  
Koryu just . . . stared.  
  
"Humans," he muttered finally.  
  
"You ARE alright though?" a woman's voice broke in, and Koryu focused on the man's companion for the first time. Pretty face, long hair . . . Floating "body."  
  
"You're dead," he said stupidly.  
  
"Yes, quite!" She beamed at him. "My name is Kinomoto Nadeshiko, and this is my husband, Fujitaka. I'm terribly sorry about this- I was talking to him, so he didn't even notice you and now look what's happened!"  
  
"But he DID see YOU." Koryu raised an eyebrow as she nodded. "Clarify, please?" he requested dryly.  
  
"It's a magician thing." Nadeshiko giggled. "No big deal."  
  
"Riiiight . . . " Koryu said slowly, giving Fujitaka a suspicious look. The man just smiled at him. Well, he could sense a decent aura off him, so that made sense. Still, there was something odd about these two . . .  
  
"I'm so relieved that you're alright!" Nadeshiko chirped.  
  
"Can we get you anything?" Fujitaka queried, helping the stunned chibi to his feet.  
  
Oh yeah. They acted happy to meet him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
0: )  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kudo Shuichiro was tired. It had been a long day, with several unpleasantly complicated operations, one of which had ended very, very badly.  
  
He'd had to tell her parents. He'd had to tell her boyfriend.  
  
The young doctor sighed and leaned back against the door to That Girl's room. She was dying. He didn't like it, but he couldn't change it. The operation that was supposed to SAVE her life was the very thing that was costing her it. But there had been no way to know that she'd have such a violent allergic reaction to the sedatives he'd used.  
  
Yet the operation had been a success. A fantastic, textbook success. Until, that is, he'd stitched her up and the seizures had started.  
  
And he couldn't forget, not for a second: if he'd used any other anesthetic . . . she would have lived.  
  
"Sir?" a gentle voice prodded as a hand reached out to touch his shoulder.  
  
Shuichiro slowly lifted his face to see a pale young man standing before him with a concerned look on his face.  
  
"Oh!" the young man exclaimed, his eyes widening as he adjusted his glasses. "To-ya?!"  
  
"Eh?" Shuichiro blinked at him.  
  
"Oh, I'm very sorry," the man apologized, bowing quickly. "It's just, for a moment I half-thought- well, never mind that. My name is Tsukishiro Yukito."  
  
"Kudo Shuichiro," the doctor replied quietly, giving him a curt nod.  
  
"Um . . ." Yukito smiled and scratched his cheek for a moment, then asked, "Sorry, but are you alright? You seemed a bit out of it there."  
  
"The girl in the room behind me is dying," Shuichiro replied bluntly, too worn out to be properly polite.  
  
"Oh." Yukito paused. "Did you know her?"  
  
"Not really." Shuichiro closed his eyes and laid back against the door again. "I just killed her."  
  
"Oh." The boy palled considerably. "Oh dear . . . " Something in his voice made Shuichiro open one eye to look at him. Which was rather lucky for Yukito, because that was when he fainted.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
. : tenshi kakkoi : . 


	7. Unforeseen Carpooling

A/N: *slightly suspicious* You know, I think some of you are trying to make me pair off Li with one of the other boys. Already, Yamazaki and Touya have been recommended. And here I thought everyone would be telling me to get off my arse, save Li from his impending marriage, and put in S+S. ^__^ Yaoi lovers, all of ya. Perhaps it is time to bring in Yue, or at the very least have Li and Koryu meet. *evil grin* And yes, that means exactly what you think it does.  
  
Note to self: must find copy of first CCS movie and watch it so I can do a half-decent job with Li's family in case I need them to show up. Anybody know where I can get it cheap?  
  
*cries* Wish is overrrr . . . ;_; But at least now I can say exactly when this fic is set, eh? AFTER the trip to the amusement park, and before Kohaku is called back to Heaven. Ta- da: it is official. Anyway, I'm happy because I found scanslations of Tsubasa, and it is gooood. Oh, my darling Syaoran-kun . . . And Fye and Blackie must get married and have- er, adopt- a million babies! -*_*-  
  
Now, let's have some sweet yaoi! ^__^ Er, I mean, "plot." Yeah . . . *koffkoff* Plot is our friend.  
  
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"Unforeseen Carpooling"  
  
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"Are you alright?" Shuichiro asked the figure lying before him calmly.  
  
"Mm-hm," Yukito replied slightly drowsily from the hospital bed. "Is Sakura-chan okay?"  
  
"Who?" Shuichiro gave him a puzzled look.  
  
"Oh- right," the other man realized, raising a hand to his forehead and grimacing slightly. "Sorry, force of habit. I forgot you weren't To-ya again . . . Really, you do look so much like him . . . "  
  
"Sorry, don't know anyone named To-ya." Shuichiro got to his feet, intending to leave.  
  
"I know." Yukito smiled, and it was strangely melancholy. "It's just . . . when I have my fainting spells . . . I've gotten used to waking up in To-ya's bed." He sniffed slightly, and Shuichiro blinked in surprise when he realized that the younger man was crying.  
  
He sat back down and fixed the other with a solemn look. "What happened?"  
  
"Oh, nothing!" Yukito smiled at him sweetly despite his tears, quickly brushing them away. "Just thinking about something."  
  
"You mean 'someONE,' don't you?" Shuichiro was far from stupid, after all.  
  
"My, ah," Yukito blushed, "friend. That's all. I . . . haven't really seen him very much since I went to college."  
  
"Mm." The doctor frowned slightly. So it was THAT kind of a "someone." "Anyway, I couldn't find anything really wrong with you- you just seem to have fallen asleep on your feet and keeled over. I can get you a prescription to help you if you're having trouble with insomnia or anything like that."  
  
"Oh no, no, it's alright," Yukito reassured him. "It happens a lot. Well, it used to. Not really lately . . . But I'm not sick," he added hastily, realizing that it might not be the best idea to tell random people certain facts about his humanity (or rather, the lack thereof).  
  
Shuichiro raised an eyebrow and picked up a notepad and pen. "How often would you say these attacks occur?" he inquired.  
  
Yukito suddenly looked slightly nervous. "Um. Can I call somebody? Please?"  
  
Shuichiro handed him his cell phone. "Go right ahead," he said invitingly, making no move to leave.  
  
Yukito hesitated slightly but took it and dialed.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
O:D  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Moshi moshi. Kinomoto residence," Li said sweetly, smiling into the receiver as the others tried to absorb the not-so-great news he'd dropped on their heads like a dead duck and his strangely passive new disposition.  
  
"Er- hello?" the voice on the other end said hesitantly. "Who . . .?"  
  
"Ah- Yukito-san!" Li yelped, nearly dropping the phone and blushing bright red.  
  
"Oh!" Yukito exclaimed in surprise. "Li-kun, is that you?!"  
  
"Y-Yes," the boy squeaked, blushing even darker and barely resisting the urge to swoon. Yukito had recognized his voice!  
  
Touya jumped up and grabbed at the phone. ""It's Yuki?! Gimme that, gaki!" he snapped.  
  
"Hey! I haven't talked to him for ages!" Li protested as Touya snatched it away.  
  
"I want to talk to Yukito too!" Sakura cried eagerly, practically pouncing on her brother.  
  
"Us too! Us too!" Ruri and Hari put in, more for show than anything else, as they had no idea who Yukito even WAS.  
  
"Are they always like this?" Kohaku whispered nervously to Tomoyo, the only sane one she'd seen so far.  
  
"Ohohohoho!" Tomoyo cackled gleefully, ignoring the angel to record the siblings' struggle for the telephone and the passively-watching Li, who finally just plucked said phone out of the grappling pair's hands and began chattering away merrily with Yukito despite his tomato-red blush. They didn't even notice, too busy fighting for the receiver to realize that neither of them had it anyway.  
  
Kohaku mentally retracted her previous opinion of Tomoyo. They were ALL a little mad. Even Li was, quite simply, too sane not to be crazy. The uber-polite way he dealt with everything that came along made it clear that something strange was going on beneath the surface.  
  
She hoped it was just the marriage. She didn't want to have to worry about anything more than Shuichiro's wish and helping Touya adjust. It was a slightly selfish thought, but most of her concern was for the two older men whose lives she was screwing up.  
  
Li giggled as Ruri and Hari rubbed against his legs, blush darkening even further, and Touya and Sakura finally stopped bickering for long enough to notice.  
  
"I think the gaki's overdosing on happy moon-vibes," Kerberos muttered. Li threw a handy fork at the guardian's feet without even missing a beat. It stuck in the linoleum with a sharp "twang."  
  
"Hush, Kerberos-san," he said sweetly, putting a finger to his lips. "I shall make you a nice cake if you are a good kitty while I am on the phone."  
  
"Er . . . okay." Kerberos gave the teenager a wary look. Li's smile just sweetened even further, and more than one person in the room noted with slight unease how very much like Eriol he looked in that moment. Of course, Eriol was a perfectly nice person beneath it all, but . . .  
  
He was also undeniably a little bit crazy. Knowing that you aren't who everyone you know thinks you are and living as a man in a child's body will do that to people.  
  
Li had always seemed, if not the calmest of the group, then at least one of the most grounded. Seeing him looking so brittle really wasn't a good sign.  
  
"Alright, Yukito-san," Li said with a faint smile. "We'll be right over, don't worry." He hung up the phone and turned back to the others, clapping his hands together once to get everyone's attention. "Listen up! Yukito-san's at the hospital: he had another fainting spell a few hours ago and he needs a ride home. The doctor won't let him go until he's sure someone's going to be around to watch him."  
  
"He . . . fainted?" Sakura looked horrified, her quarrel with Touya instantly forgotten. "Oh my God!"  
  
"What?!" Touya cried. "I thought that was over with!"  
  
"Thought what was over with?" Ruri asked blankly.  
  
"Apparently it's not," Li replied quietly. "I'm afraid I know what's happening, though."  
  
"What is it?!" Kerberos demanded. "Tell us!"  
  
" . . . I don't think I ought to just yet," Li said finally, biting his lip. "But I know how to fix it," he added quickly before the others could kill him, because both Kerberos and Touya were clearly considering it. "So please don't worry. We just need to get there as soon as possible."  
  
"Come on," Touya said flatly, grabbing the boy by the back of his shirt and literally lifting him off his feet even as he headed for the door. "Kerberos, you can take the girls, right? I'll get the gaki, and Kohaku . . ." He hesitated slightly and looked back at her, unsure of whether or not she would want her nature revealed.  
  
"Kero-chan can carry Kohaku-san and the kitties!" Sakura piped up, waving the Key in one hand. "Tomoyo-chan and I'll go on Fly!"  
  
"Oh, I couldn't-" Kohaku began, but got no further.  
  
"Good, that's settled," Li murmured, patting at his pockets. "Now where . . .? Ah, here it is." He pulled a pen out of his slacks and snatched up a memo pad off the kitchen counter, scribbling a quick note. "Alright then, now your father won't worry. We can go."  
  
Touya grabbed him again and rushed out the door. "You know how not to fall off one of these, I assume?" he asked, jerking his head at his motorcycle and dropping the helmet into Li's arms as he slid on.  
  
"Just who do you think I am? Believe me, if I could stay on Fly and Kerberos while trying to capture the Cards, I can stay on one of these," Li retorted dryly, donning the helmet and getting on behind him. "Everything will definitely be alright," he added with a small smile.  
  
"As long as you don't fall off, gaki," Touya snorted, grinning slightly wickedly as he recognized Sakura's "invincible spell" and gunning the engine. He found himself taking a certain amount of sadistic pleasure in going much, much faster than necessary.  
  
Meanwhile, Sakura was fumbling through her bag to find the Fly Card, even as Kerberos transformed back into his true form and kneeled down so that Kohaku could mount easily. The embarrassed angel did so, joined by Ruri and Hari, and Sakura finally triumphantly brandished Fly.  
  
"Key that hides the forces of darkness! Show your true identity!" she yelled, throwing it up in the air and lashing out with her staff. "I, Sakura, command you under the covenant: release the seal! FLY!" The staff instantly sprouted wings, and in a whirl of brilliant white feathers and the black lace of Tomoyo's skirt, the teenagers were astride it and rocketing upwards- like gravity had suddenly forgotten that they existed. Kerberos flapped his wings once, lazily, and then shot off after them with a screaming Kohaku and cheering Ruri and Hari clinging to his back.  
  
"Not this FAST!" Kohaku wailed.  
  
"If I go any slower, we'll lose them," Kerberos snapped. "And if my brother is sick, I need to be with him!"  
  
"Your . . . brother?" The angel blinked.  
  
"I'll explain later," the guardian said flatly.  
  
"Okay," she replied softly, tightening her grip on the other and burying her face in his back. "Just don't fall or anything, okay? If I'm too heavy-"  
  
"You aren't. I won't drop you," Kerberos promised.  
  
"That's not what I'm worried about," Kohaku said fretfully, finally straightening up slightly and tightening her grip on the other's fur. "I just meant- I could never catch you if you fell, and then I'm sure Touya would be angry. He's already mad enough with me."  
  
The guardian narrowed his eyes and gave her a suspicious look. "Did you do something to Sakura?" he asked darkly.  
  
Ruri and Hari both rolled their eyes at the thought. "As IF!" they chorused.  
  
"I'd never hurt such a sweet girl!" Kohaku exclaimed, clapping a hand to her mouth. "I'd never hurt ANYone; I'm not made for that!" She shuddered at the thought, horrified by even considering it.  
  
"Why do I think you mean that literally?" Kerberos mused aloud.  
  
"Because I do!" she exclaimed. "We can't lie!"  
  
" 'We'?" the guardian repeated in a questioning tone. "Who's 'we'?"  
  
"Touya and I, and the other-" she started.  
  
Cue the usual convenient, it's-too-soon-to-give-away-the-plot-to- other-characters distraction.  
  
"Oh my GOD!" Sakura screamed as a huge gust of wind neatly toppled both the Card Mistress and Tomoyo. For a moment, they clung upside-down to the staff, and then both girls lost their grip. Sakura made a last, desperate grab at the staff, clinging on for another second as Kerberos caught Tomoyo by her skirt, and Kohaku automatically reached out and snatched the lighter girl around the waist.  
  
"Please don't fall," she said worriedly. "Touya is already so angry. It's not good for him to be angry. We aren't supposed to be like that."  
  
"Not wif da 'we' again," Kerberos said in a muffled voice through Tomoyo's multi-layered skirt.  
  
"So cool, Kohaku!" Ruri cheered.  
  
"For a bubblehead, anyway," Hari amended quickly on her sister's behalf, and both nodded eagerly.  
  
"Thank you for catching us," Sakura said meekly as Tomoyo snatched Fly back by its head. "Sorry for the trouble, Kohaku- san."  
  
"It's my fault anyway," Kohaku sighed. "You'd have been riding Kerberos-san if not for me."  
  
"Oh, no, no, it's fine!" Sakura exclaimed. "I could've just used Float before we . . . oh no, wait, I can't summon the Cards without my staff," she remembered with a wince. "Um. Well . . . all's well that ends well?" she tried weakly.  
  
"I think I'm gonna have a heart attack," Kohaku mumbled, her eyes tearing up slightly- and not from the force of the wind, mind.  
  
"No, no, heart attack BAD!" Sakura squealed, desperately waving her arms in the air. "Please don't die, Kohaku-saaaan!"  
  
"Oh, don't worry," Kohaku reassured her with a smile. "I don't think I can." Ruri and Hari looked uncertain as to whether or not they should be happy with that statement.  
  
"We're almost there, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo spoke up, pointing ahead. "Maybe we should land now and walk in, though- we don't want anyone to see Kero-chan like this, and Fly is still out too."  
  
"Right!" the Card Mistress agreed eagerly even as Kerberos took the girl's advice, landing in a small alley. Sakura quickly dismounted, shrinking her staff and reverting Fly, and she and Tomoyo both dashed off down the sidewalk while Kerberos returned to his smaller form.  
  
"Should I carry you?" Kohaku asked nervously.  
  
"Yeah, if ya don't mind," the guardian replied with a nod. "Just follow the kids."  
  
"I can do that!" Kohaku said brightly, scooping him out of the air and hurrying after the other two. She blinked in surprise as they came out of the alley, and then gasped. "Oh! This- this is Shuichiro's hospital!"  
  
"Kohaku-san, are you coming?" Sakura called back. "Syaoran and Touya already went in!"  
  
"Coming!" the angel squeaked, rushing after her and making a mental note to keep her head down. It really wouldn't be fun to explain all this to Shuichiro while he was supposed to be working. That wouldn't be a good thing. It wasn't so much that it would upset him- Shuichiro rarely got properly upset- but it wouldn't exactly please him either.  
  
And Kohaku never wanted to make Shuichiro anything but happy.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
*  
  
*  
  
. : you will fly and you will crawl- god knows even angels fall : . 


	8. Having Tea With Beautiful People

A/N: Going away on vacation, so I thought I'd post beforehand. This chapter is rather shorter than usual and ends in a really evil place, but I do like the effect, if not so much the length. *shrugs*  
  
Hm, didn't get many reviews last chapter. Guess I've let this poor thing sit for too long, eh? *sighs* Ah well, it really can't be helped. Hopefully its old readers will find it again.  
  
. . . I really want Li to meet Koryu. -_-;; Damn plot keeps getting in the way, though. XD  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Having Tea With Beautiful People"  
  
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Koryu was bewildered, to say the least.  
  
The Kinomotos were quite possibly the most friendly, endearing people that he had ever met. Even more so than the selfless Kohaku, in fact, and he could not bring himself to dislike them in the least for it, which was an unusual feeling for him. Their individual actions were slightly irritating at times, true, but Nadeshiko and Fujitaka themselves were wonderful and made him feel all floaty.  
  
True, that might be partly because of the fact that Nadeshiko was a very delicious-looking soul, but he couldn't bring himself to so much as nibble at her skirts. She was too kind, too beautiful. It was no wonder that her husband was still so enamored of her, despite the fact that they could no longer touch.  
  
Besides, Fujitaka had made him tea, and while Earl Grey wasn't quite a pure soul, it was pretty damn good the way that guy made it.  
  
Plus, there were scones. Koryu liked scones. Especially with jam, and Fujitaka had really good jam.  
  
It is kind of hard to be evil with jam on your face, though.  
  
"Hold still," Fujitaka said, wiping at Koryu's mouth with a napkin. The demon resisted the urge to remind them that he wasn't an infant. They hadn't seemed to understand the first eight times he'd explained, so why waste the energy?  
  
"Would you like some milk too?" Nadeshiko inquired politely, withdrawing her head from the refrigerator door. "We've got an awful lot of it. Touya seems to like it more than usual lately."  
  
"No thanks," Koryu replied, shaking his head. "Not my style, you know?"  
  
"I don't think there's any sake, if that's what you mean," she said doubtfully, going back into the fridge. "There's a bottle of wine and a six-pack," the ghost called back a moment later. "Would either of those do?"  
  
"Whatever." Koryu shrugged. Fujitaka smiled at him and moved to the refrigerator, rummaging through it briefly and returning with a carton of orange juice.  
  
"I think it's a bit early to be drinking, Nadeshiko," he said in amusement as he poured Koryu a glass. "And I can't imagine that Koryu-kun has much of an alcohol tolerance."  
  
"Hey!" Koryu bristled. "I do so!" he protested.  
  
"Oh, there's a note over here!" Nadeshiko exclaimed suddenly.  
  
"I already saw it, dear," Fujitaka told her with an amused smile. "It's from Li-kun- he and the children went out to pick up Tsukishiro-kun."  
  
"Oh, good." Nadeshiko beamed at him. "I'm glad he's back. He's a very nice boy. Today's been so wonderful!" she added with a giggle. "I finally got to talk to Touya again!"  
  
"You what?" Fujitaka looked startled. "But . . . HOW?"  
  
Koryu suddenly realized why that name had been tickling the back of his brain. "This Touya you keep mentioning . . ." he began slowly.  
  
"He's our son!" Nadeshiko chirped proudly.  
  
Never mind, then. Mortals couldn't have an angel for a child- the name was just a coincidence.  
  
But, uncomfortably, Koryu remembered a conversation he'd had on a bus once with a friendly redheaded woman. She'd said, 'In this life there are no coincidences- there is only the inevitable.' And, for some reason, he'd remembered it.  
  
Only he wasn't sure just what kind of "inevitable" this was supposed to be.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
O:D  
  
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*  
  
"I really don't mean to be so troublesome, but I'm fine now, honestly," Yukito reasserted for the fifth time. Shuichiro was not deterred.  
  
He was, however, interrupted.  
  
"YUKI!" Touya literally bolted into the hospital room, his hands automatically grabbing his friend's and eyes scanning him worriedly. "What happened, are you all right, I thought this wasn't supposed to be going on anymore, I was so-"  
  
"BREATHE, Kinomoto," Li cut in, elbowing him sharply as he entered. "He'll be fine."  
  
"You don't know that," Touya said with a dark glare.  
  
"Actually, I do," Li informed him with a slight smile, and then turned his attentions to Yukito, bowing slightly. Again, he seemed disturbingly like Eriol. "It is so good to see you again, Yukito-san," he said, relief clear in his voice.  
  
Yukito giggled slightly. "Nice to see you too, Li-kun," he replied with a smile. "How've you been?"  
  
"Much better, now that I'm home," Li told him, returning the smile and again redirecting his attention, this time to Shuichiro. "Doctor," he said politely, bowing for the second time. Shuichiro nodded in return, and Li gave him the sweetest smile he could, sensing the other's lacking people skills and hoping to put them on better terms.  
  
After all, he needed to find a polite way to kick him out before visiting hours were up. He really didn't feel up to sneaking around a hospital, especially since it was usually so crowded and happened to sport several very bored security guards. It could be done, of course, but it would be so much simpler to get this all over with now.  
  
"Shall we wait for Sakura, or should I just cast a sleep spell myself?" Li asked Touya finally, tilting his head towards Shuichiro. "It's unlikely that the doctor will remember very much, and Sakura could always use Erase on him if necessary. Only, we don't have much time before visiting hours end . . . "  
  
The other three stared at him.  
  
"A sleep spell?" Shuichiro frowned slightly out of curiosity. "Are you an angel or a demon?" he asked after a moment's reflection. He was more or less used to magic by now, though it was a surprise to find it at his place of work- before, it had never really seemed to touch this place, or at least not its interiors.  
  
"I'm just a human," Li replied with a shrug, looking mildly pleased that the other knew about such things. "Touya is an angel, though. And Yukito, of course," and here he smiled warmly at the bedridden young man, who looked puzzled by the "angel" comment, "is as always himself."  
  
"If you need me to leave, I can," Shuichiro told him with a faint shrug. "As long as you won't be doing anything that might hurt one of our patients, I don't mind."  
  
"That would be very kind of you," Li said with yet another smile. "You don't really have to go if you already believe in magic, but I'd like to check Yukito-san out before it gets dark. We really do need to get home while Touya is still . . . well, you know, if you know that there ARE angels." He shrugged slightly, looking a little sheepish.  
  
"Yes, I know," Shuichiro replied with a small nod. "I'll get the release forms. I'm assuming you'll be quick?"  
  
"If Yue cooperates, yes," Li agreed. The doctor shrugged slightly and left, not bothering to ask what that had meant.  
  
Meanwhile, on the bed, Yukito was already in the familiar trance that heralded Yue's appearance. A brief light show later, the guardian slipped off the bed and met Touya's eyes solemnly.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked quietly.  
  
*  
  
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* tbc . . . *  
  
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. : angels never came down  
  
there's no one here that they wanna hang around  
  
but if they knew, if they knew you at all  
  
god knows even angels fall : . 


End file.
